Justice In The Eumenides

In ancient Greece, retributive justice served as both a strict societal code and an expectation of the cosmos. In The Eumenides by Aeschylus, the Furies serve as the defenders of this justice, which is explored in depth during the Furies’ monologue as they pursue Orestes for his matricide. In order to fully understand this passage, the reader must first grasp the Furies’ sense of justice. The Furies require Orestes’ retribution for his matricide. Unlike the contemporary view of justice, their perception dictates strict punishment for the act without consideration of both sides of the argument. Throughout the Furies’ monologue, the beings disclose both their interpretation of justice and the drive they feel to protect that view.

The Furies’ interpretation of justice allows them to act as both a champion for the wronged and an executioner for condemned souls. Once notified of someone “insane to murder kin,” the Furies will rage against him until he meets his fateful end (Aeschylus 338). Little hope remains for an offender’s exoneration after the Furies have made their judgment, and Athena notes this

The Furies deem themselves as the patrons of retributive justice. Every action the Furies carry out against an offender of the ancient law is a manifestation of this “right”. The repetition of the passage emphasizes this point through an AB pattern in terms of context. The Furies begin by explaining the “frenzy striking frenzy” they undergo while tormenting the offender, followed by an assertion of their right to pass judgment as ordained by the Fates (330). The next stanza is identical to the one that explains the frenzy, followed by a stanza reiterates the Furies right to judge lawbreakers. This repeating pattern accentuates why the Furies behave in the manner provided throughout the